Binge-Watcher

I’m not sure when I first realized there was a phrase “binge-watching”, and knowing me the phrase was probably around well before I came across it. I didn’t have Netflix at the time so never thought binge-watching applied to me. Then I started to think about it.

When I was in high-school, I inherited the small black and white family tv when my parents upgraded their set. Back then there was no cable, no Netflix – just channels 2,4,5,9 and 11, with only a couple of the stations broadcasting around the clock. During my junior year, the Bijou Theatre (beginning at 1 a.m.) showed all the Johnny Weismueller Tarzan movies in order, three a night for a week or so. Every night that week, I set my alarm for 1 a.m. and watched them all.

Several years ago, after resisting Downton Abbey for a while, Steve (in Happy Valley) lent me Season 1 on DVD. Since other folks were waiting to borrow it as well, I watched the whole season over a weekend. I have followed this by watching every succeeding season over a weekend, once the DVD comes to the library.

And if Hallmark Channel is showing Columbo or Perry Mason or Matlock back to back to back and I’m around, I’ll turn it on. So I suppose the seed was always there.

But I have to say that Netflix has brought a whole new meaning to the phrase binge-watch. I have noticed that I’m pretty obsessive about watching shows in order, and only one series at a time until I’m done, then on to the next. Murdoch Mysteries, The Crown, Doc Martin, Raiders of the Lost Art, Midsomer Murders (why do all those folks go wandering around in the middle of the night in the dark?) and, of course, every series about castles, country homes and British villages. I don’t think I don’t actually watch any more tv than I used to, but now I spend a lot less time looking through the tv guide to see what’s palatable!

Related

Post navigation

48 thoughts on “Binge-Watcher”

The list below is highly selective. These are shows I first experienced in binges. (For example, I don’t list Lonesome Dove even though I’ve binged on it because I first experienced it serially). The shows listed here are just a few of my very favorites.

Anne of Green Gables
The Sopranos
John Adams
Downton Abbey
The Wire
Band of Brothers
Mad Men
The Pacific
Breaking Bad
Justified
The Crown
River
The Americans
Last Tango in Halifax
Happy Valley

How timely (again), VS. We’ve done very little, and it isn’t technically binge-watching because it isn’t over a whole 2-3 days, but lately we’ve checked out a couple of things from the library, watched 1 or 2 (or 3) episodes over the course of a week. First it was Call the Midwife, and this past week: Weeds, but we just had the last season. (I had to read a bit of background on Wikipedia…) Did the same years ago with Deadwood…

Many of those listed above, plus Dexter, Sherlock Holmes (BBC version), Death in Paradise, Royal Pains, Madam Secretary, Limitless and maybe a couple others that I watched a bit, but not technically “bingeing” — these distinctions are important. 🙂

I just saw that they’re coming out with the movie version of “Downton Abbey”. Woohoo!

i am tryin to get grace and frankie and suits done but can not find time
my son twisted the knife ( he gives me flack
about all the classic movies i record to watch later even though i can watch them on netflix or amazon anytime) when he reminded me our move to a new
cable company will eliminate my save stuff with direct tv

Time Team (and they just added 13 more)
In the Americas with David Yetman
Martin Clunes travelogues and animal documentaries
Various other travelogues
Death in Paradise
Waldemar Januszczak’s art documentaries
Vera
Father Brown
Marcus du Sautoy’s math documentaries
MST 3000
Doc Martin
Great British Baking Show
Grand Design
Escape to the Country
Nova
Globe Trekkers
Antiques Roadshow
Twins games

Bird watching is clearly nicer in Oregon than St Paul. My busiest feathered consumers these days are the house finch and American goldfinch. So pretty. Recently we had a day of dazzling sunlight, and on the hummingbird feeder there was a male Anna’s hummingbird. What a gorgeous little bird!

The nice thing about watching these from DVDs is that you can go to set up, click on English subtitles, and actually understand all the dialogue. This is why I don’t often watch the British shows like Vera – I can only catch about a quarter of what they’re saying – if it’s “over the air”. (or is that term now obsolete?)

Modern mini-series dramas are subtle and demanding of their viewers, Some shows often hint at plot developments rather than showing them in obvious ways. Those tendencies have spawned “recap” blog sites that discuss puzzling things that just happened. Classic example: Better Call Saul. Characters interact and do things that seem inexplicable, but a little analysis clarifies those “what the heck was THAT?” moments..

I completely understand. Having just finished watching 19 series of Midsomer Murders I can tell you it was crazy making. I would have to turn the TV way up to get the dialogue but then every now and then there would be a musical interlude and it would blast my eardrums.

My day was started with a medical appointment so I am all out of order here. Most of my binge-watching TV shows have been mentioned here already. The only one I did not see was “Boardwalk.” At the end that got so violent that I had to parse it out because I just could not take it, but I still wanted to know what happened to some of the characters.

Steve has mentioned before that our tastes in TV run to the similar shows. He is correct. Most of my list is within his list. I like Happy Valley, but I have to only watch it midday (which is rare) or long before bedtime. That show is so good at managing the tension of the show that it is not relaxing before bedtime, but instead it is terrifying!

Downton Abbey (when I first discovered it, so I could catch up to watch it on regular TV)
Poldark

I like Call the Midwife, but usually just watch it on PBS’s website the week after it airs, so no binging.

I don’t have Netflix, but do have Amazon Prime…but I rarely think to look for shows that I can binge watch (or just watch), just do the occasional movie. There was one movie that I watched several times while it was available on Amazon Prime. Good thing, because it’s not on Prime now.

i could be a binge watcher of BBC mysteries if I had the gumption to go to the basement family room where the TV is. I used to love all the Albert Campion and Peter Wimsey shows. We have them in the basement. I annoy husband by skipping through the parts I don’t like, so i would have to binge watch alone. Perhaps, now that daughter is settled, I will have more free evening.

I’ll mention a relatively unknown mystery series that I am binge-watching: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. In many ways it is a conventional murder mystery series, with nice plot tricks and a good ensemble cast. What makes it distinctive is that it is set in 1920s Melbourne (Australia) and the woman solving the mysteries is an attractive woman who is no prude. Phryne Fisher is a bob-cut flapper girl who solves crimes and expresses enthusiasm for amorous adventures. She is counterpoised with a somewhat stiff police detective inspector named Jack Robinson who knows better than to let an amateur join his crime investigations, and yet he finds Phryne and her crime-solving abilities irresistible. The eye-candy factor works nicely for all viewers, as Phryne is pretty hot and Jack will appeal almost as much to female viewers. I’m a poor judge of what kind of man turns women on, but Jack (who has a gorgeous voice) will do it for many.

This series is nicely represented on Netflix and runs on an obscure cable channel called Ovation.

It IS Phryne – last time I looked up something for a comment, the source had her down as Franny – I knew that wasn’t right…
Agreed, Steve – I enjoy how Jack Robinson tries to keep a lid on it, and he is eye candy.

Something I should have mentioned. Many–most, actually–new crime miniseries are seriously dark. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is not. Think of the Agatha Christie murder mysteries. Yes, people get offed, but there is none of the really bleak, scary kind of thing so many crime shows revel in.